Wood chipping apparatus



P 2, 1968 L. A. GAUDRY 3,375,859

I WOOD CHIPPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l Eeon FLGaudrg INYENTOR BY April 1968 L. A. GAUDRY 3,375,859

WOOD CHIPPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1 965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 Leon Hfiaudrg INVENTOR Fig.7. v Fig.6.

United States Patent M 3,375,859 WOOD CHIPPING APPARATUS Leon A. Gaudry, Portland, Oreg., assignor to Salem Equipment, Inc., Salem, Greg, a corporation of Oregon Filed Sept. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 484,938 7 Claims. (Cl. 144-172) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tapered rotary head mounts a straight, elongated chipper blade positioned with its end at the lesser diameter end of the head leading the opposite end in the direction of rotation of the head, whereby the blade produces a shearing action with the horizontal working edge of a cooperating anvil. The axis of rotation of the head is disposed angularly with respect to vertical and horizontal planes through the working edge of the anvil.

This invention relates to chippers, and more particularly to apparatus for reducing wood and other fibrous material to chips for subsequent use in making paper pulp, hard boards, particle board and other products.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the class described which is characterized by minimum size, high output capacity with minimum driving power, rugged construction, minim-um maintenance and high efiiciency of operation in producing chips of predetermined but variable length from such materials as waste wood, veneer, rice stocks, sugar cane and other fibrous products.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of chipping apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, the rotary head component being illustrated by dash lines and arrows, the latter identifying the direction of rotation;

FIG. 2 is .a fragmentary sectional viewin side elevation taken on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view in side elevation taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the rotary cutter component embodying features of this invention;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation as viewed from the left in FIG. 4, the arrows indicating the direction of rotation;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 in FIG. 4 and illustrating the manner in which the cutter blade is secured removably and adjustably in the chipper head;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 7-7 in FIG. 4 and illustrating means by which the cutter blade is mounted for adjustment; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 88 in FIG. 4 and illustrating means by which to facilitate removal of the blade from the chipper head.

The wood chipping apparatus illustrated in the drawings includes a supporting frame 10 which includes the spaced plates 12, 14 mounting the bearings 16 supporting the driven rotary shaft 18. The shaft is driven by ap propriate connection to a source of power (not shown), as by means of the pulleys 2t and belts 22. The driven shaft supports a chipper head assembly' 24 within the space between the frame plates for rotation relative to an anvil 26 secured detachably to the frame by such means as the bolts 28.

The chipper head assembly includes an elongated body 30 provided with an axial bore in which the driven shaft is secured, as by keying or other suitable means. At least 3,375,859 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 one, and preferably a plurality of symmetrically arranged blade mounting ribs 32 project outwardly from the body. In the embodiment illustrated, three such ribs are provided for supporting three cutter blades 34.

The body and ribs taper from one longitudinal end to the other so that, upon rotation of the head assembly the cutting edges 34 of the blades describe a truncated cone, described more fully hereinafter.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3 of the drawings, the chipper head assembly is positioned for rotation in cooperative relation with the anvil over which the wood material 36 is passed for reduction to chips. The wood material is delivered continuously to the chipper head assembly by any conventional means, such as the continuous conveyor belt 38, in a direction substantially normal to the working edge 26' of the anvil. Hold down means, such as the roller 40 illustrated, serves to hold the material firmly against the anvil to insure precise cutting by the rotating cutter blades.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, each knife blade 34 is provided with a straight cutting edge 34. and is mounted upon its associated rib 32 in such manner that said cutting edge is positioned angularly with respect to the rotational axis 18' of the driven shaft 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2), so that one end of the blade, preferably the end at the lesser diameter end of the body, leads the opposite end in the direction of rotation of the head assembly.

The angular displacement of the cutting edges of the blades relative to the rotational axis of the driven shaft produces a shearing action as the cutting edge of the blade progresses past the working edge of the anvil from one end to the other. This shearing action is further enhanced by disposing the rotational axis of the driven shaft angularly with respect to a plane extending through the working edge of the anvil parallel to the direction of feed of material across the anvil, as best shown in FIG. 2.

In order to accommodate the use of a blade having a straight cutting edge disposed angularly with respect to the rotational axis of the driven shaft, the blade supporting head must be tapered longitudinally to provide the aforementioned truncated cone of rotation, for otherwise the cutting edge of the blade will not pass uniformly close adjacent the working edge of the anvil throughout the length of the blade. Accordingly, in providing the tapered shape of head, the driven shaft. is mounted on the frame so that its rotational axis 18 is disposed angularly with respect to a plane extending through the Working edge of the anvil perpendicular to the direction of feed of material across the anvil, as best illustrated in FIG. 1.

in order further to enhance the precision of cutting of the wood material, and to minimize breaking of the wood material, the working edge of the anvil is positioned with respect to the direction of rotation of the head assembly ahead of a plane passing through the rotational axis of the head parallel to the direction of feed of the material across the anvil, as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

Each blade 34 is mounted on its associated rib 32 by providing a longitudinal groove 42 in the latter on a plane disposed angularly with respect to the rotational axis 18' of the body. Traversing this groove at longitudinally spaced intervals are a plurality of openings 44 which freely receive clamping bolts 46 therethrough. Portions of the blade registering with these openings are cut away, forming slots 48 extending forwardly from the rear edge of the blade, to receive the clamping bolts therethrough (FIG. 6) while affording a degree of adjustment of the blade outwardly of the supporting rib. This adjustment is achieved, in the embodiment illustrated (FIG. 7) by the provision of longitudinally spaced tapped openings fill aligned axially with the longitudinal groove 42 and receiving adjustment screws 52 therein. The rearward edge of the blade makes abutment with the forward end of the adjustment screws, and the latter may be threaded forwardly or rearwardly as desired for establishing the desired radial extension of the cutting edge of the blade.

The length of chips cut from the material fed to the chipper head assembly may be varied over a substantial range, by .appropriate control of the rotational speed of the chipper head with respect to a predetermined linear speed of the infeed conveyor 38, or vice versa. The radial space between the cutting edge 34 of the blade and the head body 30 accommodates a substantial length of material projecting forwardly from the anvil.

Although the apparatus described hereinbefore may be utilized in reducing various types of wood material to chips, such as scrap lumber or slabs, ri-ce stocks, sugar cane and other similar fibrous material, it has particular utility in producing pulp chips from scrap wood veneer. In FIG. 3 of the drawings there is illustrated a plurality of such pieces of veneer arranged in a vertical stack and being fed to the chipper head assembly.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts and other details of construction described hereinbefore, may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention .and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for reducing wood material to chips, comprising (a) an anvil having a working edge over which material to be chipped is fed in a direction substantially perpendicular to said working edge,

(b) a blade supporting head mounted for rotation adjacent the anvil, and

(c) an elongated blade supported on the head for rotation therewith in close proximity to the Working edge of the anvil,

(d) the rotation of the blade defining a truncated cone and the cutting edge at one end of the blade leading the cutting edge at the opposite end of the blade in the direction of rotation of the head.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the axis of retation of the head is disposed angularly with respect to a plane extending through the working edge of the anvil parallel to the direction of feed of material across the anvil.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the axis of rotation of the head is disposed angularly with respect to planes extending through the working edge of the anvil parallel and perpendicular to the direction of feed of material across the anvil.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cutting edge of the blade is disposed with its end at the lesser diameter end of the truncated cone of rotation leading the opposite end in the direction of rotation of the head.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the blade has a straight cutting edge.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the head is provided with a longitudinal, straight blade-receiving slot the end of which adjacent the lesser diameter end of the truncated cone of rotation leads the opposite end in the direction of rotation of the head.

'7. Apparatus for reducing wood material to chips,

comprising (a) an anvil having a horizontal working edge over which material is fed to be chipped,

(b) a blade-supporting head mounted for rotation adjacent the anvil, and

(c) an elongated straight blade supported on the head for rotation therewith in close proximity to the working edge of the anvil,

(d) the rotation of the blade defining a truncated cone,

(e) the axis of rotation of the head being disposed angularly with respect to horizontal and vertical planes extending through the working edge of the anvil,

(f) the cutting edge of the blade being disposed with its end at the lesser diameter end of the truncated cone of rotation leading the opposite end in the direction of rotaton of the head,

(g) the working edge of the anvil being positioned horizontally below the rotational axis of the head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM W. DYER, 121., Primary Examiner.

W. D. BRAY, Assistant Examiner, 

